Pan de Sal – Bread Rolls

Considered a staple, pan de sal or salt bread is more sweet than salty and most likely derives the name from the pinch of salt used to make the bread. The earliest versions of wheat-based breads were introduced in the Philippines by the Portuguese back around the 1500s. Pan de sal is popular as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.

My fondest memory of this food is when my father would have his morning breakfast which consisted of a hot cup of coffee, a warm pan de sal with a spread of minatamis na bao or coconut jam. He would dip the pan de sal into the coffee and happily eat it and drink his coffee in a silent ritual at the kitchen table.

Tony Pangilinan

I am a first generation Filipino American who was born in Pasig Rizal, Philippines and immigrated to the United States on December 5th, 1971. Growing up in the United States in the 70s with a very close knit Filipino family, I was taught about both Filipino and American culture. The purpose of this blog is to catalog the recipes that I grew up with as I watched my parents and grandparents cook and tell stories about their upbringing. It is with these Filipino Food Memories that I keep the tradition and flavors of my family alive, and to pass this knowledge to the next generation who can then share it ad in finitum.